Why Klaus is cranky

Premier Jiří Paroubek said in Právo that he's almost always the one who wins the points in his public disputes with President Václav Klaus. He boasted that he's one of the most popular politicians in the country and that his public displays haven't hurt him. It's Klaus, he said, who has miscalculated. It's true that Klaus has at times come across as cranky, to use David Rath's word, but he perhaps has a good reason. When he appointed Paroubek as prime minister, there seemed to be an unwritten agreement that Paroubek would lead ČSSD into a grand coalition with ODS. This would assure Klaus reelection as president. Paroubek, though, got a better offer from Miloš Zeman (and the Communists) and is now using every opportunity to call into question Klaus's fitness for the top job. Klaus must feel cheated, and he's looking desperately for an effective way to pay Paroubek back. [Czech Republic presidential elections KSČM Communist Party]